Sheet metal mounting member for wallboard panel

ABSTRACT

A mounting member ( 10 ) for mounting a wallboard panel ( 14 ) to framing ( 12 ) comprises an elongated sheet member having parallel first and second opposite edge portions ( 16, 18 ) a central portion ( 24 ) and first and second angled portions ( 20, 22 ). The first angled portion ( 20 ) connects the first edge portion ( 16 ) to the central portion ( 24 ). The second angled portion ( 22 ) connects the second edge portion ( 18 ) to the central portion ( 24 ). The first angled portion ( 20 ) extends at an acute angle from the first edge portion ( 16 ) and at an acute angle to the second edge portion ( 18 ). The second angled portion ( 22 ) extends at an acute angle to the central portion ( 24 ) and at an acute angle to the second edge portion ( 18 ). The first edge portion ( 16 ) is adapted to be connected to the framing members ( 12 ) and the second edge portion is adapted to be contacted by wallboard panel ( 14 ) and receive fasteners ( 36 ) extending through the wallboard panel ( 14 ) and into the second edge portion ( 18 ). A row of slots ( 38, 40 ) or a row of openings ( 42, 44, 46 ) extend longitudinally of one or more of the angled portions ( 20, 22 ) and the central portion ( 24 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to building walls formed of framing and wallboard covering. More particularly, it relates to an improved mounting member for resiliently connecting the wallboard to the framing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,805, granted Dec. 5, 1995, to Duane W. Becker, discloses connecting a wall panel 20 to framing 18 in a spaced relationship. Elongated sheet metal spacers 70 are attached to the framing 18 and the wallboard panels are attached to the spacers 70. This use of the spacers 70 allows the wall covering 20 to be connected to the studding 18 while at the same time permitting limited movement of the wall covering 20 relative to the framing 18. There is a need for improving the spacer so that the wallboard covering can and will move relative to the framing 18 in response to smaller forces that are required when the system of prior art spacers 70 is used. It is a primary object of the present invention to fill this need.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes providing a spacer or mounting member for a wallboard panel in the form of an elongated sheet metal member having parallel first and second opposite edge portions, a central portion, and first and second angled portions connecting the edge portions to the central portion. The first angled portion makes an acute angle with both the first edge portion and the central portion. The second angled portion makes an acute angle with both the second edge portion and the central portion. The first edge portion is adapted to be connected to framing members. The second edge portion is adapted to be contacted by a wall panel and receive fasteners that extend through the wall panel into the second edge portion.

Preferably, a plurality of openings are formed in at least one of the central portion and the first and second angled portions. In one embodiment, a row of openings is provided in each of the angled portions and in the central portion. In another embodiment, a row of openings is provided in each of the angled portions but not in the central portion.

The openings may be circular openings or they may be longitudinal slots. In one embodiment, longitudinal slots are provided in both angled portions and in the central portion and the slots in the central portion are longitudinally offset from the slots in the angled portions.

The construction of the mounting member to include two edge portions, two angled portions and a central portion results in four hinge lines spaced apart across the width of the mounting member. The four hinge lines make the mounting member more resilient than the prior art mounting members which only have two hinge lines. The provisions of openings in one or more all of the two angled portions and the central portion provides additional resiliency in the wallboard panel mounting members.

These and other advantages, objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the illustrated embodiments, and the drawings and the claims, all of which are incorporated herein and are part of the disclosure of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout, and:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary pictorial view of a building wall comprising framing members, spacers incorporating the present invention, and wallboard wall covering connected to the spacers;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view like FIG. 3 of a third embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a view like FIGS. 3 and 4 of a fourth embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,805, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,364, granted Feb. 21, 1989, to Robert A. Smolik, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,132, granted Apr. 20, 1993, also to Robert A. Smolik, each show a building wall constructed from horizontal and vertical framing members and wallboard paneling. The framing members are constructed from either wood or sheet metal. U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,805 discloses connecting horizontal spacers 70 to the vertical framing members (studs) and connecting the wallboard paneling to the spacers 70. An edge portion of the spacer 70 is connected to the framing members and the wallboard paneling is connected to portions of the spacers 70 that are offset from the edge portions used for mounting the spacers on the framing. The present invention provides several improved constructions of the spacer.

FIG. 1 of the drawing shows a pair of horizontally extending, vertically spaced apart mounting members 10 that form a first embodiment of the present invention. The mounting members 10 are shown connected to horizontally spaced apart, vertically extending, studs 12. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the studs 12 are shown in the form of wooden studs 12. However, the mounting members 10 can also be used with sheet metal studs.

As is well known, the studs 12 are spaced apart a predetermined distance. A common spacing of the studs is sixteen inches on center or twenty-four inches on center. However, it is common to space some of the studs closer together than the standard spacing of sixteen inches or twenty-four inches. The wallboard wall covering comes in standard sheet sizes of four feet by eight feet, four feet by ten feet and four feet by twelve feet. Each wallboard panel 14 is a full sheet or a partial sheet.

The mounting members 10 of the invention each have a first edge portion 16, a second edge portion 18, first and second angled portions 20, 22 and a central portion 24. This provides four bends or fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32 in the central part of member 10. This is best shown by FIG. 2 of the drawing. These fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32 help stiffen the member 10 in the longitudinal direction. However, and this is important, they also make the mounting member 10 more flexible in the direction normal to the wall formed by the framing 12 and the paneling 14. The multiple hinge joints 26, 28, 30, 32 provide an accordion action when the mounting member 10 is subjected to forces imposed on the paneling 14 or on both the framing 12 and the paneling 14.

A lip 19 may be provided at the outer edge of edge portion 18 to stiffen edge portion 18.

In similar fashion to the prior art spacers 70 shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,471,805, for example, the mounting edge portion 16 is connected to the framing 12 by screws 34 that are preferably installed by use of a power screw driver. The paneling 14 is connected to the opposite edge portion 18 of the connector member 10, also by use of screw fasteners 36, shown in the form of flathead countersunk screws 36.

As best shown by FIG. 2, mounting edge portions 16 and panel receiving edge portion 18 are offset from each other and from the central portion 24. Edge portions 16, 18 are substantially parallel to each other. It is not necessary that the central portion 24 be parallel to the two edge portions 16, 18, but it can be.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the connector member 10′ which is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 38 in the angled portions 20, 22. FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment 10″ which is like the embodiment shown by FIG. 3 except that longitudinal slots 40 are also placed in the central portion 24. In this embodiment, slots 40 are shown to be longitudinally offset from slots 38. This staggers the regions of the angled portions 20, 22 and the central portion 20 which is between slots.

The fourth embodiment 10′″ includes a first row of circular openings 42 in angled portion 22, a second row of circular openings 44 in central portion 24 and a third row of openings 46 in angled portion 20. In all three embodiments 10′, 10″, 10′″ the fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32 are continuous. As a result, the mounting member 10 retains longitudinal stiffness. However, the openings 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 help with the multiple fold lines 26, 28, 30, 32 to make the mounting member 10 resilient in the direction normal to the wall 12, 14.

By way of typical example, the mounting strip may have a total width of about three and one half inches (3½″). The first edge portion 16 may have a width of about three quarters of an inch (¾″). The edge portion 18 may have a width of about one and one half inches (1½″). The central portion 24 and the angled portions 20, 22 may each have a width of about one half inches (½″). The offset of edge portion 18 from edge portion 16 may be about eleven sixteenth of an inch ( 11/16″). In the embodiments that include slots, the slots may be about three inches (3″) long and the material between the slots may measure about one half inches (½″) wide. The slot width may be about one fourth (¼″) of an inch wide. In the embodiment that includes circular openings, the diameter of the openings may be about one fourth (¼″) of an inch in diameter.

In the last three embodiments, the strips of material between the slots 40 or openings 44 form hinges that flex in response to forces imposed on the wallboard in a direction normal to the wall.

The illustrated embodiments are only examples of the present invention and, therefore, are non-limitive. It is to be understood that many changes in the particular structure, materials and features of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it is my intention that my patent rights not be limited by the particular embodiments that are illustrated and described herein, but rather are to be determined by the following claims, interpreted according to accepted doctrines of patent claim interpretation, including use of the doctrine of equivalents. 

1. A mounting member for a wallboard panel, comprising: an elongated sheet metal member having parallel first and second opposite edge portions, a central portion, and first and second angled portions; said first angled portion connecting the first edge portion to the central portion and extending at an acute angle from the first edge portion and an acute angle from the central portion; said second angled portion connecting to the second edge portion to the central portion and extending at an acute angle with the second edge portion; and wherein said first edge portion is adapted to be connected to framing members and the second edge portion is adapted to be contacted by a wallboard panel and receive fasteners extending through the wallboard panel into said second edge portion.
 2. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings formed in the central portion of the member.
 3. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings formed in least one of the angled portions.
 4. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings in the central member and in at least one of the angled portions.
 5. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings in each of the angled members.
 6. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings in each of the angled portions and in the central portion.
 7. The mounting member of claim 2, wherein at least some of the openings are circular in shape.
 8. The mounting member of claim 2, wherein the openings are a row of circular openings.
 9. The mounting member of claim 2, wherein the openings are a row of longitudinal slots.
 10. The mounting member of claim 3, wherein at least some of the openings are circular in shape.
 11. The mounting member of claim 3, wherein the openings are a row of circular openings.
 12. The mounting member of claim 4, wherein the openings are a row of longitudinal slots.
 13. The mounting member of claim 10, wherein the openings are substantially circular openings.
 14. The mountings member of claim 10, wherein the openings are longitudinal slots.
 15. The mounting member of claim 14, wherein the slots in the central portion are longitudinally offset from the slots in the angled portions.
 16. The mounting member of claim 1, comprising a row of elongated slots in each of the angled portions.
 17. The mounting member of claim 1, wherein the second edge portion includes a stiffening lip. 